In the days leading up to Tottenham's Europa League decider against Eintracht Frankfurt, Ange Postecoglou has reminded his players that they still have a chance to achieve “something special” and make it not just a successful season but an historic one.
The match is understandably being framed as a step towards Postecoglou saving his job and earning a third season at the club, but the Australian is determined to see it in a different light and has insisted that the result will not “define” him as a coach.
“If you don’t think I’m a good coach today, you won’t think I’m a good coach tomorrow, even if we win,” he said on the eve of the quarter-final second leg here in Frankfurt.
“I don’t think it is about salvaging [the season] and you know these opportunities don’t come round very often even if you’re having a good season, so why not take it? That has kind of been the message to the players.”
It is, though, hard to avoid the sense that for Postecoglou, the stakes are enormous, with his future at the club and possible legacy at Spurs resting on a positive result at Deutsche Bank Park.
Some of Postecoglou's excitement for the occasion has, however, been dimmed by the loss of his captain Heung-min Son, who has not recovered from a foot injury in time to feature.
Son has endured an underwhelming campaign by his own high standards, scoring just 11 times in all competitions, and prompting more than one impassioned defence from his manager, who has previously suggested that the Korean would be as impactful as Mohamed Salah in Liverpool's well-oiled team.
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“It’s a blow but it’s consistent with everything else that’s happened this year, so it’s just another challenge for us to overcome,” Postecoglou said.
Son's absences leaves Postecoglou with a decision to make on either side of centre-forward Dominic Solanke.
Brennan Johnson and fit-again Dejan Kulusevski are both more comfortable on the right, while one of Mathys Tel or Wilson Odobert, who has travelled, could directly replace Son from the left flank.
Getting the balance right in Germany is crucial after Frankfurt managed to keep Spurs' attack relatively subdued in last week's 1-1 first-leg draw in north London, aside from a characteristic Son effort which was saved by goalkeeper Kaua Santos.
Postecoglou has predicted a cagey game, likely to be decided by a mistake or a moment, and Son's threat with both feet and ability to beat a man will be missed, particularly as Solanke is now without a goal in 11 games.
For all his struggles this season, Son remains the likeliest player in Postecoglou's squad to create something from nothing.
His leadership will also be a huge loss for a young Spurs squad in a deafening atmosphere on Thursday night, particularly after Postecoglou's side appeared to struggle at Galatasaray and Rangers in the initial phase and in an abject 1-0 defeat at AZ Alkmaar in the last-16 first leg.
Son was in line to break Harry Kane's record of European appearances for Spurs after drawing level on 67 last week and has faced Frankfurt on 10 previous occasions, but instead Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, James Maddison and Solanke will have to step up as Spurs' experienced heads.
“There's no doubt that come tomorrow, the experienced guys in the squad who have probably been through something similar will be hugely important for us,” said Postecoglou.
Romero, who made a costly mistake at Wolves, is likely to wear the armband, though he shares the vice-captaincy with Maddison.
Last week's first leg, in which Pedro Porro's brilliant flick cancelled out Hugo Ekitike's early strike, suggested Spurs have more than enough quality to beat the 2022 winners, even without Son, and has raised the possibility that Postecoglou's side could put their dreadful league form behind and go all the way in the competition.
For Postecoglou, the future may be opaque but in the present Spurs still have a shot at glory.
“What I’m sitting here doing is thinking we’ve got a great opportunity to get to the final four of a major tournament,” Postecoglou said.
“Mate, I’m not going to let that slip by without fighting tooth and nail for it irrespective of what may come the day after.”
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